Your Favourite Game
by NewBornBaby
Summary: This is a 'This Feeling of Pure Freedom' bonus. It takes place six years after the end of the original story and depicts a wild, hot night in Rome... Beware of the M-rating !
1. Your Favourite Game 1

Hello again !

For those who didn't follow:

"This isn't a 'big comeback' or whatever...it's just a little bonus that I suddenly wanted to add to the story. I think it'll be four or maybe five chapters, that's all. I thought I would never post anything again on this site, but then Psycho came out...and I suddenly came down with an acute Muse-itis again. And also the fact that I'll soon see them live once more, the fever took hold of me again ! I just hope I haven't lost my touch too much..."

For those who _did_ follow (thanks SO much for the reviews btw, MythicMouse and LaylaCrow23)

I finally decided I should not post this directly in TFoPF, since (even if they're the same characters) it doesn't have a lot to do with the original story... And you may notice that I've changed a few things already: the title, the place (Rome instead of Milan) and the date (six years instead of eight years after TFoPF).

For everyone:

Soooooooooo...** BIG** **M-rating alert ! If you like pure flowery romance, this might not be for you... This is more about lust than anything else.  
**

* * *

**Your Favourite Game**

_Six years after This Feeling of Pure Freedom._

*JADE'S P.O.V*

The Italian security staff had made a fuss about verifying my identity, but thankfully an audio engineer who knew me had granted me access rather quickly. I scurried up the narrow stairs, dragging and bumping my suitcase along, but I could already hear the muffled deep heavy tones of the bass vibrating through the walls. Which meant I was too late, they were back onstage already. I hurried down the corridors anyway, not giving the slightest of attention to the people that I crossed path with, until I reached the backstage.

Music was thundering on the other side of the thick safety curtain and I soon recognized Hysteria's tune. The sound of Matt's voice reached my ears and a flutter of electricity ran through my body, my heart and breathing picking up speed. Even after all this time, he hadn't lost his touch.

Technicians were scattered all over the place, eyes glued to computers' screens, the only sources of light around here, saved for the flashes of colour that escaped the huge curtain from both sides now and then.

I was slightly panting- having a hard time catching my breath after my little run- as I walked over to the left wing, still rolling my suitcase behind me. Finally the stage came into sight and I paused. Of course I knew that the gig had resumed, I'd heard it even in the street outside the building, but seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointement.

Now I would have to wait at least an hour before I could see Matt.

We had only been separated a matter of weeks, but it felt like months since I'd last felt the warmth of his arms around me. You'd think that after all this time one more hour of waiting would feel trifling... But in truth being this close to him, knowing that he was _there_, just a few meters ahead, made it so much harder to bear. I wanted to walk straight out there and throw myself at him, gig or not, audience or not. But I guessed that would've cast a wave of awkwardness throught the air, to say the least.

So I resigned myself to waiting. I sighed and ran a hand in my hair, finally taking the time to get my oxygen back. Then I noticed Kathy, standing with her back to me in the prompt corner, next to yet another tech. A tiny smile tilted my lips at the familiar sight and I came up behind her in order to lightly touch her arm. She glanced over her shoulder and her eyes slightly widened in recognition.

"Jade!" she exclaimed happily, placing her hands on my arms. "Finally! It's too bad, you've just missed their break," she said over a bright and crisp version of Hysteria's guitar solo.

I sighed internally. '_Great..._'

"Traffic was horrible around the airport," I explained, raising my voice as well. "And you know how Italians have a..." I searched for the right word, "_curious_ way of driving. There was a moment when the driver got out of the cab to yell at another driver... Honestly, I thought I would never arrive."

She smiled, knowing all too well what I meant. "Yeah, they're a bit hot-blooded around here".

"That's an understatement," I quipped, casting my eyes around. "Tom's not with you?"

"He's in the control booth," she said, pointing up and towards the audience. "And I love your hair by the way."

"Thanks!" I smiled and absentmindedly touched my recently cut hair. Even if shorter than it used to be, it was still long, cut just over my chest. I'd just wanted more layers to give it body and volume. I'd been thinking about it for some time but I knew Matt liked my long hair so I'd put the idea on back burner for a while.

I took a few steps closer to the stage and slightly leaned forwards, peeking into the public whilst trying to remain unseen behind the legs.

In the dimness of the small room, united as if forming one single organism, the crowd was on fire. White smoke was blurring the air, carrying the light effects further out to the back. Over their head I caught a glimpse of the control booth Kathy had just mentioned.

Hysteria came to an explosive, screeching end, and the room erupted in cheers, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin. Damn, I'd forgotten how that felt.

Dom's voice came out from the speakers in the room after an instant. "Grazie mille!" he exclaimed with a more than questionable accent. But still the fans seemed to appreciate the effort, as always.

My gaze was inevitably drawn to the stage straight ahead of me, even if I'd tried to avoid looking at it directly since I'd feared it would make the yearning worse.

It made it worse. Chris was closest to me, and I realised that was probably the reason why Kathy had chosen to stay in the left wing and not the right one. Dom was upstage in the middle, as usual, and Matt was at the far end, near the right wing.

He was pacing around, pressing his foot on his pedal board now and then, wearing black pants and a white t-shirt printed with a very rock-and-roll black and red pattern, red braces dangling loosely at his sides.

While I looked at him I felt this familiar heat, flooding me from head to toe, this aching longing in my heart and jittery feeling in my belly. Over the years I'd learned to simply accept these demanding emotions, loving someone with all your heart wasn't as restful an activity as one could hope. When it wasn't downright exhausting. Yet these feelings seemed to be particularly heightened and powerful tonight. Perhaps it had been too long this time.

I tried to send mental waves to him, to have him notice me. But he was utterly (and rightfully) absorbed by the gig, and following the usual four taps of Dom's drumsticks he began to play Map of the Problematique. After a few seconds, when the song gained intensity, he strode back and forth, his body moving to the beat of the song.

Nope, no way I could reach him now. But it seemed that someone else had heard my mental calls. My eyes met Chris' by pure chance. I raised a hand and he smiled, answering my wave with a movement of his head. Perhaps he would tip Matt off for me.

_And I feel like everything I sow  
Is being swept away  
Well I refuse to let you go..._

The crowd was singing along but I only had eyes for Matt. The stage was bathed in blue light, except for Dom whose drumkit was lit in red, Chris was being his headbanging-self, and Matt had a look of intense, faraway pleasure etched on his features.

How did I manage _not_ to dart forwards and kiss the living hell out of him right that instant was beyond me.

'_Still more than fifty minutes to go... How am I going last this long?..._'

_Life will flash before my eyes  
So scattered and lost  
I want to touch the other side_

_And no one thinks they are to blame  
Why can't we see  
That when we bleed we bleed the same_

_I can't get right  
Get it right  
Since I miss you_

My eyebrows drew together. I turned towards Kathy. "Did he say 'since I _miss_ you'?"

She thought it over for a second. "Hum, no I don't think so, I heard 'met' personnally."

Still slightly frowning I turned my attention towards the stage again. Well _I_ had heard 'miss'.

_Loneliness be over  
When will this loneliness be over  
Loneliness be over  
When will this loneliness be over..._

The song ended rather abruptly, but the Maggie's Farm riff followed right away, lights turning red. Matt walked over to the edge of the stage, hunching over his guitar, bending at the waist. After a couple of seconds he started jumping wildly as he played, and a cluster of young women in the front row went hysterical, screaming their heads off.

Possessiveness reared up inside me and I narrowed my eyes at them, even if they couldn't see me.

'_Scream all you want, he's _mine. _And if the ring he's wearing on his left hand isn't enough to remind you of it, than I will_.'

At the end of the riff the lights were turned off between songs. My eyes took a second to adjust, trying to distinguish forms around me thanks to the slight gleam coming from LEDs or screens.

"Jade, now that you're here," I heard Kathy say not far from me, "we wanted to ask you: there's a party on a sort of houseboat-club on the other side of the town tonight, it's pretty select but it looks really cool, you think..."

I didn't hear another word, for I was suddenly tilted backwards. I gasped, startled, but before I could say anything my mouth was covered up by warm lips and a parfume that I knew well floated inside my nostrils.

Surprise left place to joy and I smiled in the kiss, but desire quickly took over everything else and I straightened up, sliding my hands up his shoulders to wrap around his neck.

I tilted my head to the side and pressed into Matt while he pulled me close at the same time, and my heart melted like dark chocolate. His much awaited closeness made the room around us fade away into nothing for a timeless moment, and we moved our lips against the other's unabashingly, as if we were the only two people there.

Unfortunately he only had a few seconds between each song so he had to end the kiss far too quickly for my taste.

Lips throbbing, pulse racing, I looked up into the darkness. I managed to see him smile, even though there was hardly any light.

"You're late," he said.

"Long story," I replied a bit breathless.

He started to gently disengage himself from our embrace and my spirits sank. '_So soon..._'

"Lucky kiss?" he asked out of the blue, rising his hand between us at the level of my chin.

My lips curved into a smile again. "It seems you were doing just fine without it..."

"Then I'll just do even better," he answered, touching his forehead to mine.

I chuckled and decided to humour him, cupping his hand with mines and pressing a kiss against the plectrum he'd been holding.

"Thanks, baby," he said, his voice silky and breath carressing my mouth just before he gave me one last peck on the lips.

I leaned fowards when he pulled away, not wanting his lips to part from mine, but he didn't really have a choice and soon he trotted away and the lights were on again.

I sighed, the encounter having turned me into mush. Mind fuzzy, I slowly turned my head towards Kathy, all warm and gooey-fied. "You were saying?"

She huffed out a laugh. "Nevermind, we'll talk about it after the gig."

My eyes glided towards the stage again, and my hand came up to my neck of its own motion, my fingers twiddling my aquamarine pendant, a longtime gift from Matt.

My line of sight crossed Chris' once again.

"Thank you," I mouthed to him, knowing that he had told Matt I was here first chance he'd had. He responded with a smile whilst roving over his side of the stage.

Matt had slipped behind his piano and they played Apocalypse Please. Next came New Born, Assassin, and Plug in Baby which of course was met with a mass singalong from the crowd. And then, just before the following song, while Matt was absently and softly strumming the strings of his guitar, he sent an unexpected message to me.

"I'd like to dedicated this next song to my beautiful wife," he announced in his mike just before the first notes of Sing for Absolution sounded in the air.

I felt myself blush to the roots of my hair and I bit my lower lip, trying to contain the massive grin that wanted to come up to the surface. I took a step back, shying away from the crowd out there.

"Oh, Matt..." I whispered through my smile, chest tightening with adoration.

'_Take that, groupies-in-the-front!_'

Everytime they played this song I couldn't help but think about the first time I'd heard it, the memory bittersweet but intense. It felt like it'd been a century ago. It _had_ been a lifetime ago. And it always felt weird when fans sang it along, weird that such intimate lyrics- which had hold so much meaning when they'd been written- would come out of the mouths of so many strangers.

The rest of the gig carried on smoothly, they had a great crowd, very receptive, and when the beginning of Supermassive Black Hole resounded in rich definition, a clamour of approval rose from them. The explosive song filled the space of the Italian stage with pure energy, spurring the fans to jump as high as they could for the last track of the show.

Matt was having fun with his Kaoss pad, leaping and kicking around while Chris sang the last chorus. Matthew thanked the public at the end of the song, but even if he'd talked in his mike his voice could be barely heard over the roar of the acclamations. He then strutted towards Dom, pushing parts of his drumkit so that cimbals toppled over. He only left the ones Dom needed for the final riff.

Meanwhile Chris had hopped down from the stage, turned around so that he had his back to the crowd, and he leaned backwards, the greedy hands of the fans pulling him towards them. Security guards were standing very close to him, looking on edge. Kathy suddenly radiated worry next to me, staring at him nervously.

"He'll be fine," I told her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. But at the same time I felt eyes on me and my gaze flicked towards Matt. He was watching me, smile tugging at his lips, and he winked at me.

Of course I suddenly forgot all about Chris and was all smiles again. Matt jumped onto the drumkit's platform and sat astride Dom's bass drum, sharing words with him away from the microphones. I saw them say 'one, two, three, four' in unisson and the heavy riff blared out of the amps.

Chris was lifted off the floor by the sucking strenght of the crowd, fingers clutching and pulling at his t-shirt and arms, but the security staff clung to him to keep him near the fences. Dom was playing like a madman, shaking his head wildly and drumming faster than ever. As for Matt, his mouth had dropped open, his hands moved in a blur over his Manson's frets, his fingers gliding along the whole lenght of the strings now and then.

And so the gig came to a close with all the mind-blowing pomp you can imagine, Dom having the rest of his drumkit swung away by Matt's guitar once the latter had sprung onto his feet again, floodlights sweeping bright coloured rays over Chris and the fans' heads, the amps' last screams mingling with the crowd's cheering.

Chris climbed onto the stage again, looking spaced out and over the moon after his little crowd surf. Matt abandoned his guitar near the fallen drums and lifted his arm in the air, letting the ovation wash over him in unending waves.

"Thank you Rome!" Dom said over the speakers, raising his arm as well. "You've been fucking amazing! Cheers!"

Of course he couldn't resist casting his drumsticks into the huddle. There was a brief sway in the crowd, a young woman caught one of the drumsticks, and she tossed a fervid 'ti amo' at a grinning Dom.

Chris was the first one to reach the wing. He grabbed a beer can that had been waiting for him near the prompt desk, flicked it open, and took a sip but not before he'd placed a chaste kiss on Kathy's lips. Next came Dom, rubbing his face and neck with the towel a tech had just handed him, babbling about 'just how hot are Italian chicks'.

His grin grew even bigger when he saw me. "Hey! How was the trip?" he asked happily.

"So-so," I vaguely answered, smiling back just as cheerfully, but clearly not in the mood to talk about it now.

And last came Matt, swallowing down big gulps of water from a small bottle. Our eyes met and his were bright and alive, swimming with endorphins. We came close to each other, letting only a couple of inches between us.

"Kinda sweaty right now," he warned me, a slight hoarseness in his voice, licking a drop of water that had lingered on his lips.

My lips stretched into a small seductive smile. "Who says I mind?" I said quietly, flirting, while the cheers continued in the background.

His eyes glinted and there was a hint of a smirk on his face when he took another sip of water. Then his right hand came up, his fingers smoothing over a lock of my hair.

"Nice haircut," he said, appreciative.

"You like it? It's not too short for your taste?"

He shook his head. "No. As long as I can still run my fingers in it, I don't mind..."

And he added gestures to his words, sliding his hand through my hair before letting it glide down my neck. Desire burned between us without warning, pulling me to him like an invisible magnetic force.

"Guys, get a room, seriously!" Dom suddenly exclaimed behind me, laughing.

A blush crept up to my face and I took a step back, whereas Matt seemed unfazed. "All in good times," he said, swigging from his bottle again to hide his smile.

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**Review ? Pwetty please ? :-)**


	2. Your Favourite Game 2

"Mmmmh... Let me see the burgundy red again," I said, taking a step back to have a more global view.

Kathy complied, holding the lipstick at the level of her mouth. Her lips twitched with a nervous smile while I studied her, it was obvious she wasn't used to makeup try-ons.

"Yeah, that one, definitely," I eventually decided. "It'll look great with your eyes."

She released the breath she'd been holding. "Okay. Are you sure it's not too dark?"

I couldn't help smiling, not at all surprised by her uneasiness. If Charlenne was a fashion diva, Kathy was the diametric opposite. She was pretty in a natural kind of way, but sophistication wasn't her thing. I gently placed my hand under her chin and angled her face so that it would catch the light better.

The two of us were alone in the pre-show dressing room, while the guys were waiting for us next door, in the lounge. They had all already taken showers and changed clothes, and then they had given us free rein over the dressing/make-up room and its adjacent bathroom, so that we could dress up as well for the post-gig party. Ah, the party. From what I'd understood, it was taking place in a super trendy and opulent bar, half built on stilts over the tiber and appended to an underwater nightclub. The owner was some Italian filmmaker currently in the prime of his life and career, and apparently this was where celebs hanged around in Rome at the moment.

At first the idea hadn't thrilled me. All I wanted was to spend the night with Matt. Preferably alone with him, not in a club crammed with people. Besides the trip had worn me out a little. But then Dom had shown me the bar-nightclub's website and it was true that the design and architecture seemed like it was worth a closer look. Dom had been pretty insistent, ranting about how they needed to let the energy loose after their concerts, how this was such a hotspot, how there would be the freshest DJ talents...

Well, I knew _other_ ways of 'letting it loose'. But they all knew I loved dancing, and Matt had looked like he wanted to go, so I'd given in.

"No, it's perfect," I assured Kathy, letting go of her chin.

I left her side and rummaged through my opened suitcase, searching for the outfit I wanted to wear. When I'd found it I picked up the rest of the stuff I'd need and I headed for the bathroom.

"Do you think I should apply a lip pencil first?" she asked me before I'd closed the door.

"Yes, you should. And use a lip brush too, it'll be easier," I advised her, and then locked myself in the bathroom.

So, Matt had been missing me so much that he'd begged me to fly and see him. It shouldn't have been possible for me to come, but the feeling had been greatly shared and I'd moved heaven and earth, managing to reschedule all my photoshoots of the next five days. Usually when I succeeded in coming to see him at the last minute, especially when we'd been apart for such a long time, we would barely leave his hotel room for at least a couple of days.

But this time it appeared that Matt had decided he wanted to waste half of the night at a party, rather than having us break his bed. Well, fine by me.

"Yep, fine by me," I muttured to myself, as I eyed the piece of underwear I intended on wearing.

I ditched my travel clothes and freshened up first, then I slipped on the Agent-Provocateur sexy set I'd bought the previous week. I sat on the toilet seat cover and rolled the sheer black stockings up my legs, hooking them to the suspender belt. When I got up to my feet again and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I couldn't help but stare for a second. The matching bra, knickers and suspender were made of a combination of black French leavers lace and fuchsia silk satin, depicting flowing graphic florals on a delicate black tulle canvas.

My cheeks heated up, and a wave of pleasure mixed with pride rolled through me at the sight. I looked hot. _Really_ hot. And even if all this would be hidden under my dress, I would know it was there, and it'd be a huge confidence boost.

But I didn't stop there. Tonight, I was going all out. When I came out of the bathroom, I had put on a figure-hugging Versace black lace cocktail dress, and a pair of Louboutin classic black stilettos. All out, I tell you.

I wasn't wearing these brands out of snobbiness, but because of their excellent quality and the fact that it made you look elegant and sexy but not slutty. The dress for example, was short and sleeveless, but the neckline was round and the lace was only see-through above my chest.

Kathy was still touching up her lipstick when I came beside her to finish up my look. Her eyes flicked to me and her jaw dropped a little. "Woaw, you look amazing!" she quietly exclaimed.

Pride curved my lips into a smile again. "Why, thank you," I answered, fully beaming.

She eyed my dress up and down and sighed. "How I wish I could wear something like that... But unfortunately I don't have your waist."

"Oh, come on Kathy, you've given birth three times," I gently said while I poked through my makeup. "And the last time was only a couple of months ago. Don't be too harsh on yourself, I'm sure that you'll be fit as a dancer in no time." And I meant it, she was the most sporty woman I knew.

I'd put my hair up in a tight messy bun just after I'd agreed to go to the soiree. And now I took the hair ties out, ran my fingers through my hair, combing it lightly and letting the waves and curls fall over my shoulders.

I kept my makeup fresh and elegant, just enough to make my eyes stand out a bit, and I was good to go.

Once I'd packed up my things again I turned to Kathy with a smile. "Ready?"

"Yes!" she answered happily, handing me back the lipstick she'd borrowed.

We left the room and entered the lounge. Matt was sprawled on a couch, legs crossed, deep in conversation with Tom and Chris while sipping from a can. His gaze glided towards me, and I had the satisfaction to see his eyes nearly pop out of their sockets when he saw me.

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips, my self-confidence so swollen up it could have easily filled the room.

My eyes never leaving his, I strolled towards him casually. And when I'd reached the couch I bent over, placing a hand on the backrest for support, and the other around the can he'd been drinking from, slipping it out of his loose fingers. Blue eyes wide, he didn't protest when I brought the can up to my lips and took a sip.

'_Ugh, Red Bull. Figures._'

Even If I probably needed the energy I didn't like the taste, yet I didn't let this transpire. Instead I kept on smiling at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Cat's got your tongue?"

He swallowed hard, speechless, and I had to chuckle. I straightened up, taking his drink with me and gazing around the room. "Where's Dom?"

"Er, picking up groupies," Tom answered, his voice sounding strangely husky. I looked down at him and saw that he was peering at my legs. He quickly realised that I'd noticed and his eyes darted away.

I didn't make any remark and went over to the table where the drinks and some food had been displayed. I chose an appetizer that inspired me and turned around, leaning the back of my thighs against the table's edge.

Conversations slowly sparked up again between Chris, Kathy and Tom. Matt stayed silent. Yet there was no way I could ever have forgotten his presence in the room. I could feel the heat of his eyes on me, the beguiling caress of his gaze going up and down my body.

He lithely got to his feet, and there was a certain feline grace to his movements when he came to lean against the table next to me. He was still wearing black pants but he'd switched his rockstar t-shirt for a plain white one, which we wore under a perfectly fitting black blazer. He looked freaking gorgeous.

At first I ignored him, reaching for another petit four behind me, and I only looked at him when I was licking my index finger clean. His face seemed to be rigid with self restraint, but his eyes were blazing cerulean. I stared back at him, trying to look as ingenuous as I possibly could, but warmth travelled down my chest under his smoldering gaze.

"Are you trying to make me pay for not taking you to the hotel right away?" he asked quietly, so that I would be the only one to hear.

He knew me well.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I returned him innocently, bringing his can to my lips again.

But he nabbed it before I could drink from it. "Oh, I think you do," he muttered, taking a long swig himself.

A devilish smile tickled my lips and I leaned closer to him. "If I truly wanted to tempt you," I breathed against his skin, brushing my mouth over his cheek in a fleeting caress, "then I'd tell you that I'm wearing a suspender belt right now."

He choked mid-sip.

All eyes turned to him as he coughed and I couldn't contain my smirk. He put down the can on the table and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Excuse us for a second," he said hoarsely to the others, once he'd managed to control his coughing fit.

He then grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room.

"Where are we going?" I asked, trying not to laugh at his reaction. He was striding so fast, I had some trouble keeping up the pace.

He didn't reply but trailed me behind him, weaving through the corridors, and soon we reached the deserted backstage, all lights out and most of their equipment gone.

There's no telling how he managed to find his way around in the dark when I could barely see my own feet, but apparently he knew where we were. And at some point he tugged on my hand a little bit harsher than before and my back hit some hard surface. Caught between some invisible wall and his body, I suddenly could think no more.

His lips crashed down on mine, causing every nerve in my body to shoot alive. I breathed in the heady and manly scent of his aftershave, this velvety smell of trees and moss forever associated with his skin in my mind, and my heart pumped furiously in my chest, as if Matt had just woken it up from a long slumber. He delved his tongue past my lips hungrily, allowing our breaths to mingle into one, and my fingers burried themselves in the soft mass of his hair.

He skated his hands all over me, stroking my back, my hips, up my waist, over my breasts, down my spine to the curve of my buttocks. Even if my dress was separating his skin from mine, the trails he drew were driving me insane, melting my insides with want. I tore my lips away from his, tilting my head back to suck in some much-needed air, and he immediately attached his mouth to my throat.

My breathing was becoming more and more uneven, I was pressing myself against him, eyes closed, lips parted, mind lost, hips pushing fowards off the wall. He pulled my right leg up over his hip and I released his hair to put both hands on his shoulders, gripping his blazer, trying to steady myself. He pushed the hem of my dress up my thigh, his lips having found my mouth again, his tongue slowly dancing with mine, his hand going up, and up...

Up until his soft fingers brushed my bare skin just over the lacy seam of my stocking, sending a sharp jolt of desire through me. And just when a small heated moan escaped the back of my throat he was suddenly gone.

I nearly lost my balance as I was deprived of his support so roughly, and I had to press both my palms against the wall behind me in order to keep myself upright. Confused and disoriented, I tried to gather my senses.

"What-" I whispered, breath failing me.

Frustration seized my heart. What had happened? Had someone walked in on us? I swallowed, trying to catch my breath and focuse my sight. Matt was standing a few feet from me. I stared at his dark form, waiting for some kind of explanation.

"Think I hear Dom comin' back," he said lightly. "I guess it's time to go then."

And he took off with that sentence, without waiting for an answer.

I froze, stunned, body still pulsing with arousal. I couldn't believe it. Had he just... Had he just _walked out_ on me after having deliberately turned me on senseless?

Anger grew, and I could feel my blood getting hotter and hotter, until it felt like it was on the verge of boiling. "Have to be kidding me," I hissed in the dark, grabbing the hem of my dress to pull it down.

Seething, I pushed myself off of the wall and found my way back on my own.

Indeed, Dom had come back, and not alone. When I approached the lounge again I could hear unknown feminine voices and giggles drift out, speaking in a very approximate english. I stood framed in the door as I watched them.

Dom was slouched on the red couch with his arms sprawled over the backrest, sporting a pair of sexy worn-out jeans and a black shirt which sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Seated on either side of him were two pretty girls in their early twenties, one brunette and the other dyed-blond. Giant smiles were plastered on both their crimson faces, as if they couldn't believe what they were living was actually happening for real.

Dom was laughing at something one of them had just said- or tried to say, flashing his perfect row of white teeth, but when he noticed me he did a double take. "Woah," he said, suddenly sobered up. His eyes scrutinized me for an instant. "Nice." While he goggled at me some tiny brown UFO that had apparently come out of nowhere suddenly landed on his cheek. Dom blinked in surprise and focused his stare somewhere to my left.

Matt's voice sounded before his best friend could complain. "Keep off. Don't you have enough already?"

A small smirk settled on Dom's lips and he picked up the object which was in fact a peanut. "I'm just saying... Nice," he repeated, tossing the nut in his mouth. "Anyways, Jade, this is Antonia," he wrapped his arm around the brunette, "and Jenna," he completed, hugging the blond one.

"Gemma," the blond corrected him.

"Oh sorry babe. Gemma," he apologized, breaking into his Hollywood smile again. From the look on Gemma's face, he was already forgiven.

I had to suppress the urge to roll my eyes.

Both girls waved at me saying "hi" and my lips stretched into a small, tight smile. "Hey," I answered, trying not to sound stiff but failing.

I didn't have anything against these girls. We had already spent some memorable nights in the company of fans. As long as they didn't have sights on my husband... No, my annoyance was only directed at _one_ particular person in the room.

Matt stood right in the same spot than we had before leaving the room, leaning against the table again. He had his left hand palm up in front of him, holding a small pile of peanuts in the centre, and with the fingers of his right hand he delicately chose a peanut before popping it into his mouth. Nostrils flaring, I came to stand next to him. For a moment he kept on eating his peanuts nonchalantly, but he eventually lifted candid eyes to my face and raised an interrogative eyebrow.

"Well, _you_ didn't say what you thought of my outfit tonight," I remarked, trying to stay calm, while in the background the others burst out laughing at some joke I hadn't caught.

A smile ghosted over Matt's face and he looked down, grabbing another peanut. "I believe I _showed_ you what I think."

My eyes narrowed into slits.

Around us people all started to stand up. "We'd better go now," Dom was saying, "or everyone will be already bashed when we'll arrive."

"I don't think it's that kind of place Dom," Chris replied.

I shifted closer to Matt. "What the hell was that?" I whispered through gritted teeth, done beating around the bush.

He lazily rubbed his hands together, having eating all of the peanuts. "I don't know what you're talking about."

My brows twitched upwards. He'd just thrown my own sentence back at me. And suddenly I knew very well what all this was about, as I detected the challenge in his blue gaze. I let my eyes travel over his face, studying his handsome features for an instant. His high cheekbones, his striking eyes, his pitch black hair...

"You play a dangerous game, Mr. Bellamy," I finally said, my voice soft and sultry.

A slow, sexy smile curved his lips. "I play our favourite game... Mrs. Bellamy."

I tried not to show him how much _that_ tone of voice affected me, but I couldn't help smiling back. "You'll lose," I declared quietly as I straightened up, before joining the others at the door.

I was putting on my black bolero when he walked past me. "We'll see about that," he breathed into my ear.

* * *

**Review's my fuel :-D**


	3. Your Favourite Game 3

Thanks a lot, CeilingMuser, for the review :-)

* * *

I settled down on one of the plush couches of the large booth we'd booked, and hung my handbag to the coffee table's edge, using a dainty little hook one of my customer had recently offered me after a bridal photoshoot.

Off to my right were Gemma and Antonia, babbling excitedly in Italian, rhapsodizing over the tablets on the tables which were in fact digital menus at our disposal. I picked up a said tablet myself and scrolled down the list of drinks, sharing the screen with Kathy who was sitting at my left. There were more than two hundred cocktails or so on the list, some made with types of alcohols I'd never even heard of. But they all seemed unique and enticing in all cases.

"Aren't they afraid of thefts?" Kathy wondered, talking about the tablets, once she'd chosen her drink.

"Mmm, considering the prices," I mumbled back while I still hesitated between two cocktails, "I guess most of the clientele here is loaded enough not to care about plain tablets..."

I eventually made up my mind and opted for a classic 'Irish Ghost'. Seated in front of me, Matt had of course chosen the weirdest cocktail on the list. 'Meatequita' it was called. It contained tequila infused with chorizo, vegetable juice, balsamic vinegar, smoked sea salt pepper...and I really didn't want to know the rest.

But the most noticeable order of our table was Dom's, Gemma's, Antonia's and Tom's. They had all decided to share an absinthe fountain.

"I thought these things weren't even legal anymore," I frowned, casting a glance at Matt for confirmation since he was the one who'd told me about it.

"Well, apparently we're in one of these clubs were all rich men's whims are allowed," Matt mused, checking out the virtual menu again. "It looks real."

"Trust me when I tell you you won't last long," Chris said. "Don't count on me for a ride home when you'll be rolling under the tables-"

"Oh come on!" Dom chimed in. "Don't be so damn negative! What could possibly go wrong when the Green Fairy's watching over us... Besides we won't need you, remember? Personal drivers an all..."

His sentence petered out as his mouth turned up into a grin, for two waitresses- both wearing the same elegant and adjusted black and red uniform- had just slithered in between the couches with our drinks. Woaw, it felt like we had just finished ordering and they were already here. The service seemed to be top notch around here. And these two women obviously fitted strict beauty criteria, same flawless bronzed skin, same lean and healthy body, same spruced up bun of brown hair... They could have been sisters.

"Thank you," I muttered, smiling at the one who'd placed my drink on the table, trying to ignore the fact that all male eyes in the booth were checking them out. Including Matt and Chris'.

We all thanked them and they finally cleared off with polite smiles on their faces. "Ah, I love this city," Tom sighed, staring longingly after them. Most people chuckled at his remark but I huffed quietly. It'd be difficult to win when there were so many hot chicks everywhere. But I certainly wasn't going to declare forfeit so soon.

I raised my cocktail as we all cheered, and when I clinked Matt's glass I glanced past our hands. His gaze was prowling my face, assessing, checking my mood. I conjured up a vague smile that could mean anything at all on my face, letting him know that I was still in, that I wasn't about to give up. It would take a little more than two perfect robotic babes parading in front of him for that.

Taking my drink with me I leaned backwards, ensconcing myself on the couch. I dipped my lips into the beverage and the smooth frappucino taste expanded in my mouth, the heat of the alcohol burying itself in my stomach.

We had so much space that I was able to lift my feet from the ground and fold my legs beside me, having slipped my feet out of my shoes first. I sank into the incredibly comfortable cushions, so huge and soft it felt like giant cotton balls. And as I sighed with contentment I let my gaze wander freely around the room.

The whole place bore a Moroccan design, what with the intricate carvings, the low dark wood coffee tables, the openwork ornamental panels separating our booth from the others... But contrasting with this style was the indie electronic music floating in the air, and the funky colours of the sofas, ceilings, chandeliers.

My eyes soon came to rest on the center point of my univers again, and tenderness softly billowed inside me while I observed him. He had taken off his blazer and his white top counterbalanced his inky onyx hair perfectly, his delicate features were still carying that boyish air which I'd always love. And as if pulled by an invisible thread, I suddenly wanted to close the silly distance between us, to take his lovely face in my hands and wrap my lips around his and...

And blue eyes caught me staring.

I dropped my gaze and shifted on my seat, but when I dragged my eyes up again his were still locked on my face. I read the message in them easily. _You can always give up you know_. But I wouldn't, never. I was far too proud for this and he knew it.

"Jade," Kathy called, jerking me back to reality. She had been quietly chatting with Chris until now.

"Mmmh?" I hummed as I turned to her.

"I wanted to ask you, where did you find this," she inquired, bending forwards and lightly touching my little handbag hook. "It's so useful but I can never get my hands on one."

I breathed in with the intent to answer but a voice cut in from across the table.

"Yeah," Matt said, sounding falsely interested. "That's new, I've never seen it before."

I darted him a miffed look. '_Stop it._'

"Well, it was a gift," I explained, focusing my attention on Kathy once more.

"Oh, okay. Do you-"

"Really? From whom?"

Annoyance flared through me and my lips thinned. I had to turn towards Matt again, who'd bluntly interrupted our friend for the second time. But as I looked at him an idea formed in my mind and I unwound.

"From my secret lover of course," I casually returned him, waving my glass.

He reacted the way I'd expected him to. His jaw clenched, nearly imperceptibly, and his fingers idly tapped his thigh, one foot at rest upon his knee in a casual pose, not really matching the simmering look in his eyes.

But then the corners of his mouth lifted in a mocking semblance of a smile and his eyes flicked to my right, focusing on Antonia, who'd listened to our exchange. "Dimmi, Antonia, volevo chiedere..."

I clucked my tongue and had to look away, feeling my temper bubbling up once again. I was just teasing him, playing along with him, and in response he'd chosen to use the little he remembered of his Italian lessons just to spite me.

Antonia was of course delighted when discovering Matt could hold his own in Italian. She leaned closer and the two of them started to prattle away. She began to cross and uncross her legs, to fiddle with her necklace, to drop loud peals of laughter now and then. She was so obvious that I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Couldn't she realise that Matt was just using her to get to me?

Watching my husband chat up a girl in a language that I couldn't even understand wasn't really my cup of tea. So I finished up my drink far more quickly than I would've otherwise and with a decided amount of force, I set my glass down on the coffee table, loudly enough to draw some attention.

"So, I'm going to check if that dance floor is worth all the fuss," I declared, sliding my stilettos on again. "Anyone wishes to come with me?"

"Mmm-" Dom immediately blurted in his small glass. "Me! Or more precisely us," he volunteered before turning to Gemma for her consent. The blond eagerly nodded. "Just let us have another round first," he added with a giggle, gesturing at the absinthe fountain with his empty glass.

"Okay," I softly replied, smiling at his enthusiasm.

I watched him pour an ounce of the emerald spirit into his and Gemma's glasses. Next he laid a flat, traditional absinthe spoon across the rim of his glass and placed a small white cube of sugar on the perforated area of the spoon. He put the glass under one of the highly ornate fountain's spigots and opened the tap. Clear water started to drip onto the sugar cube, slowly dissolving it, and the liquid underneath took on an opalescent, cloudy greenish-white colour. I had to admit, all this ritual was kind of fascinating.

Dom had noticed my interest. "Do you want a taste?" he offered smoothly, smiling temptingly like some devil asking for my soul.

I'd never tried it before. All I knew was that it apparently had quite a potent and particular taste. But I was always open to discovering new sensations. "Why not?" I said, scooting reluctantly closer to Antonia since Dom was sitting in front of her, beside Matt.

Dom waited until enough water had been added to the mix and then used the leaf-shapped absinthe spoon to stir the drink. "Ice cube?"

I shrugged lightly. "I don't know, do what you think is best."

"Then we'll follow the purists' way. No ice. The water's cold enough anyway." He handed me his glass, his arm crossing Matt and Antonia's lines of sight. "Drink up!"

I reached for the glass but before I could bring it to my mouth Matt seemed to wake up all of a sudden. "Hey! What are you doing?" he fretted, a frown puckering his forehead. "You're not drinking that!"

My eyebrows shot up and I gawked at him, holding the glass in the air, a few inches from my lips. "Excuse me?" I slowly said, incredulous. "I'm not asking for your permission."

"What the fuck are you doing?" he turned accusing eyes to Dom, his voice clawing the air with reproach. It looked like Antonia suddenly didn't exist anymore.

Dom looked as much taken aback as I felt, his big eyes gazing back at his best friend as if the latter had grown a second head. "What? It's nothing you haven't tried before yourself."

"That's not an excuse. Jad-"

The end of his sentence died in his mouth when his gaze whirled towards me. I'd just started taking a sip. The cool and refreshing beverage flowed in between my lips, the bitter taste of the wormwood well balanced by the sweetness of the sugar, the whole emanating a strong and complex floral character. My mind was swiftly transported to some kind of mountain meadow, its delicate flowers still dripping with raindrops. I swallowed and the crispness turned into anise fire in my belly. It was _very_ singular, not my favourite taste on the entire planet but not bad either.

"Mmm, not bad," I commented, licking my lips.

"See?" Dom said, holding out his hand as if I'd just proven his point. "She likes it."

"That's not the point," Matt countered. "I'm supposed to protect her, even from herself."

I scoffed. "Please, Matt. If you want to play the watchful spouse then act like one," my words rang bitterly between us. "And not just when it suits you."

For a second it looked like this time I'd managed to pierce through his stubborn shell. His azure gaze faltered and the hope that he would finally give in, drop it, put an end to this absurd situation whispered across my mind. But his eyes promptly hardened again and he settled back into his seat, crossing his arms as he did.

"Fine. Don't listen to me. Drink this shit if you want."

"This _shit_?" Dom nearly choked, stupefied. "What's wrong with you? You love this _shit_. It was you who introduced me to it! You who told me it was called the 'Green Muse', you who said that it was inspiring and liberating, you who-" He abruptly quieted down and I saw something pass across his features. Something that looked like understanding. "Ooooh," he mused mysteriously after a few seconds of silence. "I get it."

I peered at Matt as I drank a second sip and when I glimpsed the uncomfortable light in those bright blue eyes, as if he were scared he'd been sussed out, I knew that Dom was probably on to something.

"You're not happy," Dom started, waving his index finger in the air, "because you're afraid your wife is going to turn into an uninhibited and sexually self expressed, basically very sexy and horny creature."

I froze, with another glup of absinthe stuck in my mouth. I had to swallow, the firey liquid whashing through me again. "What?" I rasped, staring at Dom.

An amused grin played around his mouth_. "_Absinthe is a very powerful aphrodisiac," he explained. "I forgot to mention that."

I cleared my throat, peeking at the milky green liquor in my hands with new eyes. "How powerful?" I asked, wondering if the warmth I was feeling in my guts was only due to alcohol or not. It couldn't be _that_ fast...

"_Very_," Dom answered, beaming from ear to ear.

Matt loudly huffed. "You're proud of yourself?" he snapped at Dom, arms crossed rigidly over his chest.

"Well, yes! You should be thanking me."

I suddenly had the inappropriate urge to giggle. Somehow, the whole situation seemed funny. Some kind of infectious laugh rose up in my throat, getting stronger, and Dom and Gemma quickly joined in, making it worse. My mind slowly sank into a warm fuzzy pool of merriment. It wasn't possible, the effect _couldn't_ be that brisk, it had to be the Irish Ghost...

The three of us were caught into a hilarious laughing fit, and it felt like we would never be able to stop. In front of me Dom's was scarlet, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, his body shuddering to the continuous stream of hysterical giggles.

Everyone in our booth was staring at us, and we'd succeeded in luring smiles from them all, except from Matt.

"What's going on?" Kathy asked with a smile in her voice.

We burst out laughing even harder, as if her question had been some sort of priceless joke. And we went another round. I couldn't breathe but I couldn't care less, Gemma held her belly, bending over, and my abs were starting to burn as well...

"Oh my god," I spluttered, voice deformed by laughter, gasping for air, struggling for control. After a minute it finally began to subside, little by little, but the dizzy delicious feeling still clang. I exhaled a long, satisfied sigh. Somehow I had miraculously managed not to send any abinthe sloshing over the rim of my glass. "Jesus, when I'm going to tell Charlenne that story," I whispered and sniffed, bringing my hand up to catch a tear under my eye.

"This stuff is incredible," I noted to myself, draining the rest of my glass.

"Let's go dancing!" Dom suddenly exclaimed, still slightly giggling, before he sprang to his feet.

Gemma and I followed his lead, standing up as well, and I was pleased to realise I wasn't feeling unstable at all. I wasn't feeling drunk, just ridiculously hyped up.

"Can I leave this with you?" I asked Kathy, pointing at my handbag.

"Of course," she smiled. "Don't worry I'll keep an eye on it."

Dom, Gemma and I headed towards the exit of the booth, but Matt was suddenly on his feet as well. Not with the intention to come with us though. He snatched hold of Dom's arm and whispered something in his ear. Dom seemed to be only partly listening but he nodded nonetheless. Then Matt released him and sat down again, his face set in a resolute sulk.

Dom caught up with us and we walked side by side towards the terrace.

"What did he say?" I inquired right away.

He flapped his hand in front of him, a dismissive gesture, as if it had no importance whatsoever. "Bouarf," he slurred. "Something about crushing my balls if I didn't watch over you properly. The usual."

I chuckled, mainly because of the way Dom had related it. But yes, it did sound like Matt. "There's something else I wanted to ask you," I muttered after a couple of seconds, closer to his ear.

"Yes?" he cast a sidelong look at me and his lips curved into an impish smile. It seemed he liked my proximity.

"What?" I wondered, eying him curiously.

"Nothing, you smell good that's all. What did you want to ask?"

I felt a blush stole over my face at the compliment but I tried to ignore it. "Hum, I'm just wondering, what exactly are the effects of absinthe?"

He released a quiet laugh. "Oh don't worry, you'll be just fine," he assured me. "Gemma on the other hand," he let his words hang in the air for an instant, and we both glanced at the overexcited blond nearly bouncing fowards a few feet ahead of us. "With her four or five rounds... I think it's safe to say the next few hours are probably gonna be a blur of green flames for her. And I wouldn't be surprised if she underwent some kind of identity crisis pretty soon."

My eyes widened. "That much, huh?"

We had reached one of the golden arched doors that led outside. And when we stepped out, when we saw the breathtaking panorama around us, we had to stop for an instant.

It felt like we had just entered another world. And I suddenly understood that the bar behind us was only a very tiny portion of the venue, only the tip of the iceberg.

Two sparkling pools were stretching out on either side of us, they glowed a bright turquoise, illuminated by underwater lights. The pool to our left boasted a posh swim-up bar, the one to our right an amazing artificial waterfall. Luxurious Moroccan-style cabanas, towering palm trees, and extravagant sculptures were sprinkled all over this huge outdoor terrace that overlooked the moonlit Tiber.

This place was _insane_, laden with excess. You could feel the energetic and festive vibe crackling above the eclectic crowd. The air was saturated with the sound of voices, laughter, diving...

A group of young women in expensive looking swimsuits walked past us, giggling and holding fancy cocktails in their hands. Dom twisted his neck as he watched them strut by.

"Am I dead?" I heard him breathe in a daze. "'Cause I think I've just found paradise."

I had to laugh, but there was no denying this was no ordinary place. We started forwards again, and my gaze skimmed over my environment. I felt like all this had a kind of indecent and decadent but also surreal touch. The way people were splashing around with drinks in their hands, the way others were sprawled on the outdoor sofas, the way waiters and waitresses were weaving through the crowd, satisfying this one or that one demand...

At some point I realised that there weren't two pools but in fact only one, U shaped, and a little bridge arched over the channel that linked the two main basins together. Using that bridge we continued our little stroll, leaving the pool area behind us, and straight ahead of us stood another arabic-styled and very impressive door. It was tall and golden again, and it was the entrance of some sort of tunnel, sloping down to unknown depths, plunging under the Tiber.

"Well," Dom said, "I believe this is leading to the nightclub. Woaw, they really know how to set a décor."

The tunnel bore an air of mystery, it felt like we were slowly descending into the entrails of some dark sea creature. We started to hear the beats of the electro-house music, the light became dimmer and dimmer, turning bluish as we advanced, and the walls, floor and ceiling were made of a raw stone-like material that seemed to be incrusted with thousands of tiny spangles. Stalactites hanged from the ceiling and it was clear now that we were heading towards some kind of cavern-like setting.

Finally, we reached the jaw-dropping dance floor that adorned the inside of this immense underwater structure.

The interior design was remarkable, the architecture indeed based on a cavern, the stone on the long walls and high ceiling was slightly sparkling like it would've in a cave. A giant LED disco ball was towering over the crowd like some kind of supernova, shooting thin laser beams in all directions. An elevated DJ setup was dominating one side of the room while a long neon bar counter was occupying the other side.

An all-smiles Dom raised his arms in the air as if he wanted to hug the room. "Behold!" he shouted over the heavy music. "Ali Baba's Cave!" He hooked his arms around my left and Gemma's right and pulled us forwards. "Come on, ladies!"

*-X-*-X-*-X-*

House music was blasting flawlessly through the state-of-the-art sound-systems, a relentlessly intoxicating beat, and my body as well as everything else around me was pulsing to it. I'd lost track of time, feeling like I'd been moving in the dark for hours.

Dom and Gemma were close to me. He'd tried to speak with her a couple of times but the music had drained out his voice and she looked like she was in a trance-like state anyway, unreachable. So in the end he had dropped it and had settled for just dancing with her.

The thump of the bass was vibrating within my bones, every beat pounded in my heart. With my eyes closed, one hand sometimes up in the air, sometimes in my hair, I could feel the absinthe still running in my blood, making me feel pleasantly giddy, skin hypersensitive.

Dom had danced with me too. Several other guys had as well. Surely closer than what Matt would have deemed acceptable... But Matt wasn't here.

'_No, he prefers Antonia's company._'

I frowned, trying to block this out. But it was too late, the thought had taken root, and after a few seconds I realised I missed him so much it was hard to breathe. I tried to swallow past the forming lump in my throat yet the need for air kept increasing steadily.

When I couldn't stand it I reached out and placed my hand on Dom's arm. My movements looked weird and mechanical in the strobbing light. His dancing slowed and he turned to me. I leaned near his ear. "I'm gonna head outside for a while," I half said, half shouted.

He drew away just enough to peer at my face in the darkness. "Okay. Are you feeling alright? Do you want us to come with you?"

I shook my head. "No, don't worry, I'm fine. Keep on dancing!"

He grinned and nodded, and it seemed winked, but it was hard to tell in the gloom. I laboriously extracted myself from the crowd, grinding against hot bodies, making my way up to the surface, and once I was out my eyes slid shut for an instant. I breathed in the cool night air, letting it ease the hot throbbing in my body and the tightness in my throat. Compared to the dance floor, the ambient noises coming from the pool area seemed so quiet...

I exhaled and headed towards the bar where hopefully Matt, Chris, Kathy and the rest still were. I walked past the pool, not paying attention to it, since I wasn't in the mood for partying all of a sudden. I crossed the threshold of the bar but hesitated for a second. I'd planned on joining them in our booth again but the thought of seeing Antonia still hovering over Matt was disquieting, and instead I found myself approaching the counter.

I sat on one of the tall stools, crossed my legs, and rested my elbows on the countertop. "Can I have a glass of water, please?" I asked, not even looking up, but rubbing my temples with my fingers instead.

"Right away, Ma'am," I heard a barmaid answer.

After a couple of seconds some deep, masculine voice arose from beside me. "To see such a lovely creature sitting alone at a counter is unusual," it said with the slightliest accent. "But to see her looking so unhappy is downright outrageous."

A pair of deep-set eyes were gazing at me, a charming glimmer dancing in the brown irises. It belong to a very attractive, yet weather-beaten, Italian face. I huffed out a polite chuckle but couldn't look at him straight in the eye since the way he was staring at me was making me feel a bit uncomfortable.

The barmaid placed a tall glass of water in front of me, ice cubes clinking against the rim, and I thanked her, not finding anything to answer to the Italian hunk to my right.

"Why don't you tell me what robbed your perfect face of its smile," he inquired, warmth and flirting in his voice.

I let out a nervous giggle and tried to smother the flush of heat creeping up into my cheeks. It wasn't the first time some guy had tried to pick me up tonight, but this one had something in his voice, something in his eyes, that made me feel all mellow inside in spite of myself.

"Well, I'm smiling now," I replied, taking a sip of water and trying to hide the grin that was indeed tugging at the corner of my lips.

"As you always should," he purred. "Was it a man that upset you so?"

'_Tssk, men. Always thinking everything revolves around them..._'

But in that particular case he was right. "Kinda," I vaguely answered, trying to keep the conversation to a minimum.

"Has this man ever told you you have the most beautiful eyes in the world?" he dipped close, voice reaching out like a caress. "They remind me of the fields of grass in spring, surrounding my mansion in Tuscany..."

I leaned backwards a bit, not having expected this sudden proximity, this sudden invasion of my privacy area, and I stared back into his eyes because I had no other choice. He was so close I could smell his musky cologne, and my heart took up speed.

'_Holy shit, what's happening? ! Is it the absinthe doing this?_'

I stuttered, feeling ill-at-ease and nervous but also excited and confused...

"Baby!" another voice cheerfully- yet somewhat forcefully- exclaimed. "There you are!"

Three things occurred simultaneously then. The back of a hand roughly pushed against the Italian's chest, putting back some distance between us. Another hand wrapped around the back of my neck, fisting in my hair. And finally lips collided with mine.

Relief washed over me and I relaxed, even though I could tell by the way he was kissing me that Matt was _very_ angry.

Our lips parted noisily and two boiling sapphire pools bore into my eyes for a second. I gazed back at him lovingly, so thankful for his presence, for his touch, not only because of the insistent Italian but because I'd been craving it all evening. His hand released my hair but it firmly gripped my waist instead.

Matt turned eyes that screamed murder towards the 'hunk'. "Thanks so much for watching over my wife, mate," he told him, voice dripping with a fake casualness that couldn't hide the venomous threat behind the words. "I mean, there are so many douchebags around here who would love nothing more than to take advantage of a married woman," he continued, taking my left hand in his own and raising it to his lips for a kiss. That way he made sure my wedding ring was in plain sight.

"But you're not that kind of guy, are you?" he concluded, eyes shooting ice daggers at the Italian.

Mister Silver-tongue was perhaps five inches taller and five years older than Matt, but he suddenly seemed pretty embarrassed nevertheless. "Mmh, no, I'm not that kind of person," he mumbled, taking a step back. "You're a very lucky man," he had the nerve to add, though sounding a bit awkward.

"I know," Matt snapped acidly, unblinking. 'Fuck off' was the implied meaning.

"I'll leave you two to it then," the Italian spluttered, finally clearing off.

Matt took his place next to me but he stared after him for a long moment, fingers clawing at the countertop, loathing written on his face. I uncrossed my legs and hopped down from the stool before reaching up to cup his face in my hands. His eyes turned to me yet instead of meeting his gaze I started to pepper his face with light kisses. I wasn't a fan of public displays of affection, but I wanted to coax away this hateful look from his features.

Moreover I'd just realised it was over. He'd lost. I'd won. I could touch him and kiss him without it being interpreted like my given up. Once I was certain I'd covered his entire face at least twice I drew away slightly, beaming.

"I win."

Matt pulled free of my embrace, vexation having replaced hatred on his face. "You don't play fair!" he accused me.

I raised an eyebrow in question. "How's that?"

"That..._fuckhead_," he hissed, his voice dark with contempt, "obviously wanted to jump your bones!"

I snorted. "And Antonia didn't?" I retorted, more than dubious.

"No." He sounded like he believed it. "Women aren't like that, men are perverts."

I chuckled and reached out to my water glass again. "Come on, I know you're not _that_ naive."

He didn't reply and started fiddling with my coaster, looking down and pouting.

I took a couple of sips but quickly couldn't bear the silence any longer. "Listen," I said, "you're the one who started it. Do you think I wanted to do this tonight? Absolutely not, I just wanted to spend time with you-"

"I didn't start it," he interrupted, eyes finally looking up again. "You did. When you came into the lounge wearing _this_," he indicated my dress with the coaster.

"What?" I complained. "Since when can't I look good for you?"

"You did it on purpose!" he exclaimed, then lowered his voice when the barmaid casted a curious glance in our direction. "You did it on purpose," he repeated. "Because you knew I wouldn't be able to touch you for at least a couple of hours."

I couldn't really deny it. "Alright, maybe. But that wasn't a reason to throw yourself at me backstage," my voice dropped so no one would eavesdrop. "And then leave me all alone like you did!" I sighed and heartache suddenly filled my chest. I couldn't believe we were wasting our precious time arguing over this. "Why does it always have to be this way," I lamented. "Why can't things be simple and-"

He took my hand in his and pressed it against his lips, not letting any other sad word leave my mouth. The sorrow in my voice had apparently affected him and regret coloured his features. He placed several kisses on my knuckles, his thumbs stroking my skin, and he closed his eyes.

"Because I'm fucking complicated," he guiltily muttered, sighing as if that single sentence explained it all. Sheepish blue eyes lifted to my face. "You knew this about me when you married me," he said softly, a small smile gracing the corner of his lips.

An answering smile tugged on mine as I accepted his hidden apology. "Yes," I admitted. My hand reached up and stroked down the side of his face. "It's part of why I love you."

His smile widened ever so slightly and he resumed kissing the hand he was still holding. "So," he sighed after a few seconds. "You won. What's it gonna be?"

He was asking about my prize. "Mmmm..." I thought about it for an instant but the answer quickly appeared obvious. "Come dance with me."

*-X-*-X-*-X-*

*MATT'S P.O.V.*

She led me outside, pulling me forwards at a determined pace, and she barely gave me any time to take in the view.

'_Jesus_... _I'd forgotten there were pools around here!_'

Dom had mentionned it but it had completely slipped my mind. The sharp smell of chlorine mixed with the sweeter one of cocktails filled my nose. Fresh droplets landed on my right arm as someone dive-bombed, splashing water everywhere, and a bunch of girls scampered away squealing. It was a real circus around here! I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me there were some 'magic pills' being passed around. 'Cause from the look of pure euphoria on some people's faces, as if they were ready to take on the entire world on their own, it was obvious they were high on something stronger than alcohol.

Good. The stimulating hyped up thrill in the air made me forget a bit about the utter twat that'd just tried to hit on Jade. For just a minute earlier my nerves had been twanging like the strings of a guitar, and if I ever saw his obnoxious Casanova face again I would certainly punch this row of white teeth to the back of his bloody skull.

Jade's hand dragging me forwards felt soft in mine, the silky touch I'd missed so much was wrapped around my fingers, and I couldn't be happier. She was right, the back and forth we'd had going on had been stupid. I was glad we'd put an end to it... Even if I would've prefered it if she had kicked Antonia away an hour earlier.

I mean, she was a nice girl, not unpleasant to look at, but she had been ranting on and on about her life and her ex-boyfriend, and the fact that Italian guys were all jerks whereas British were so much better... I had to admit I hadn't contradicted her regarding that last point.

I pushed it all away out of my mind. Antonia and the twat, even the pools behind us. I would give all my attention to the gorgeous blond I was walking hand in hand with.

Again I hardly had the time to admire the colossal door leading down into a narrow passage that was plunging into darkness. We passed several people that were going the other way, up towards the surface, until we bumped into familiar faces.

Gemma had her arm wrapped around Dom's shoulder and he was practically carrying her, his own arm circling her waist, while taking a swig from a big champagne bottle he was holding in his other hand.

"Hey, _lovebirds_!" Dom bawled, his voice booming inside the tunnel, echoing through the stone walls.

Jade and I both winced. "Dom!" Jade chided him. "You're not on the dance floor anymore, not need to shout!"

"Oh, sorry," he apologised, sniffing and rubbing his nose with the back of his hand, locks of hair sticking to his forehead.

"Class incarnated," I whispered under my breath.

He hadn't heard the mockery. "You're gonna love it downthere Jade," he said, readjusting Gemma's arm around him. "They've changed the style a bit, it's less techno and more nu-disco now."

"Great!" Jade exclaimed, delighted. "Is she alright?" she then asked, when Gemma staggered a bit next to him.

"Oh yeah, I think she wants to pee. She keeps repeating 'toilet', 'toilet', 'toilet'..."

"She looks sick," Jade commented.

Just at the same time Gemma brought her hand to her forehead and she mumbled, "vado a vomitare..."

If she hadn't looked so bad, I probably would've burst out laughing. "Dom, she doesn't want to pee, she wants to throw up," I translated.

"What? !" he squeaked, jerking away from the poor girl. But he had to grab her shoulders, because she would've collapsed otherwise. "Oooookay, sweetheart, we're going to find you toilets. Come on!" And without further ado he pushed her towards the fresh air, in a sudden hurry.

I couldn't help chuckling as I gazed back at them for an instant. "Well, that's not pretty. See what absinthe does?" I turned to Jade, feeling slightly smug. "I told you."

She half-rolled her eyes. "I had _one_ glass, Matt."

"Yes, because I warned you."

"Because I have a brain!" she countered, dropping my hand and sounding a bit offended. But then she came nearer to me and brought her hands up to my neck, running her fingers along the hem of my t-shirt. "But I am feeling the effect you know..."

"Oh?" She didn't look wasted at all...

Her eyes sparkled in the dim light and she leaned even closer. "The aphrodisiac effect," she said, her sweet breath fanning across my lips.

I was expecting the kiss I was certain she was about to give to illustrate her words. A hot, delicious kiss that made my lips tingle in anticipation. But instead she pulled away, tossed me a mischievous smile, and started down the tunnel again. I stayed put for a fraction of a second, mind slightly numb, yet I quickly recovered and narrowed my eyes at her receding form. Freaking _tease_.

I trailed after her before I could lose her in the dark, eyes gliding over her body, her back, her slim waist, her long legs, and heat stirred to life into the pit of my stomach. The steady thrum of club music was becoming louder and more powerful with each step, the bass line thumping inside my chest. She waited for me at the end of the tunnel, where it opened into a vast cavernous space.

We would have to go down a few steps to reach the dance floor and so we were currently standing above the crowd, having an amazing view of the monumental room. This time she gave me a moment.

A dark stormy sea was pulsing on the floor, stretching out to the far end of the room. Human shapes were forming the waves, the music's rhythm led the currents. Light was surfing over the crowd, like a living thing moving between the people, illuminating their faces for the breifest of instant as it slid against them. High up gleamed the biggest LED disco-ball I'd ever seen, watching over this dancing ocean like some kind of radiant moon. And of course, the music was the queen of it all, a palpable force on which everything else in the room depended.

Jade's fingers laced through mine and we stepped down the stairs side by side. She pulled me through sweaty bodies, adding our forms to the mass of dancers, until we found a small opening on the dance floor.

She started to bend her knees and sway her hips in tune with the music, letting the rhythm ride her. Her moves were liquid and sensual, she had a way of letting it loose, tangling her fingers in her hair, closing her eyes, looking free and sexy. If singing and playing music was my outlet, dancing was hers. She was a natural, she knew when to move and how to move, and she made it easy to accompany her. I'd always enjoyed watching her, but in time she had made me love dancing with her. I just had to loosen my muscles and inhibition, and there I was, moving to the beat like she was, anonymous in the dark crowd.

The current track ended and a happy thumping piano tune took its place, bringing a smile to my lips. I knew Jade loved this kind of electro-swing songs. I reached for her hand and she laughed as I spun her around in a fast jive step. We stepped back and forth, closer together and further apart, whirling this way and that, inevitably bumping into strangers but our hands never parted, and a radiant smile crossed her face.

They played a couple of these fast, rhythmic tunes, but then another song began, a different style, deep, sensuous, ethereal, and things slowed down a notch, bringing couples together. We were panting a bit, invigorated by our previous acrobatics, and she drew near, loosely draping her arms around my shoulders, adapting to the new type of music. My hands came up to rest on her hips, I pulled her close, and our bodies melded together for a slow erotic dance in the ghostlike glow.

Hands twitching while I tried not to slide them all around her, my eyes drifted shut as I touched my lips to her temple, breathing in the scent of her hair. Her body was ondulating against mine, exuding sensuality, her breasts grazing my chest with deliberate voluptuousness, the lascivious roll of her pelvis prompting desire to pool hot and thick in my groin_._

I tried to drew in calming breaths but the feather-soft brush of her fingers singed me through my clothing and my heart thundered against my ribs. I'd been dying to touch her all evening but now some sultry current burned between us in quiet agony. To be so close to her and not be able to taste every single inch of her body was torturous. I wanted the crowd to disappear, I wanted to feel the satin softness of her naked skin against mine...

My hands couldn't stay still any longer. One stroked up her back while the other went down. I brushed my parted lips along the delicate line of her jaw and she arched her neck, offering me better access. My mouth moved against one side of her throat while my fingers glided up the other side. I caressed her cheek, traced her soft bottom lip... And just when she tilted her head forwards again her lips parted and I dipped my thumb within, stroking the moist heat of her mouth.

She exhaled a shaky breath, heavy lids opened and smoldering green eyes locked on mine, glittering in the fluorescent light. She was so beautiful it hurt. We stared into each other eyes, our ragged breaths merged, and the sexy music faded in the background. Her face registered the same passion which was gripping my insides.

I swallowed down the thickness in my throat. "You wanna get out of here?" I asked, fighing for air.

No word came out of her lips, but she nodded her agreement.

* * *

**Review, pwetty please.**


	4. Your Favourite Game 4

*MATT'S P.O.V.*

I was drumming my fingers restlessly on the car's door arm rest, the tips tapping inaudibly against the fine leather since the sound was covered up by the music flowing out of the loudspeakers. I'd let Jade choose the channel she'd wanted, and she'd opted for some chillstep mix, not so different from what had been playing in the nightclub albeit more relaxing.

We were cruising through the city in a luxury, SUV limo- rented for the duration of our stay in Rome- our italian chauffeur having a surprisingly smooth but painfully slow way of driving. Of course the fact that I wanted to get to our destination as soon as possible was doing nothing to make time pass any faster. I'd stared at him through the rearview mirror a couple of times, as long as I could, trying to pervade his thoughts with my mind, Inception-style.

'_Go faster!_'

But it'd never worked. Or he hadn't complied, one or the other. Seriously how dense could the traffic be at this hour of the night?

A heavy sigh escaped me when we came to a stop at a red light and I was sure I'd heard some fleeting lighthearted chuckle in response beside me. Yet when I turned to look at Jade, she was laid back in her seat and gazing out her tinted window, imperturbable. I stopped drumming as I watched her, and instead began rubbing my thumb and forefinger together without notice, having trouble staying still.

The light was slightly stronger than it would have been in a 'normal' car and it wasn't helping to be able to see her this clearly, with this dress showing off her endless legs...

My own leg started shaking up and down nervously and I breathed out another sigh, I just couldn't help it. I tore my eyes away from her, ending up looking down at the large arm rest that was separating our two seats. There was a sliding panel there which I hadn't noticed before and I discovered a built-in remote control hidden underneath it. The first button that I turned lighted up the tiny bar in front of us.

Cup holders shone with bright blue LEDs, so did the champagne chiller well- craddling a bottle we hadn't touched- and the starlight style ceiling sparkled over our heads. I turned it some more and the lights changed from blue to purple, to red, then to green... I put them back on blue and tried the next switch. This time something began to stir behind the leather of my seat, rubbing my back in circles and I deactivated it almost instantly. I hated electrical massaging seats, for me it was soft feminine hands or nothing.

The following switch turned off the music abruptly, the silence that took its place deafening, barely disturbed my the soft humming of the car's engine.

"Oops, sorry," I quickly apologized before Jade could complain, turning the music back on as I did.

I was slightly apprehensive after that and for a while I didn't touch anything else, but then curiosity got the best of me once more and I pressed another button. Some buzzing sound came to life for an instant and I perceived movement in the corner of my eye. I cast a glance forwards, where something had moved, and realised that the window between the driver and the passengers compartiments had thinned. I pushed the button again. A black partition came up a few inches more.

A familiar warmth inside me- the one which was always pulsing with energy when _she_ was around me- looked up with sudden interest as I realised what this window divider meant. My gaze flicked to Jade and I saw that she was staring at the partition as well, unblinking for a few seconds, and then her eyes met mine.

"Seriously?" she said. "You couldn't have tried _that_ button earlier?"

I felt a smile tweak at the corner of my lips_. _"Better late than never?" I replied, raising my shoulders sheepishly.

She straightened in her seat slightly and darted a look out her window. "How much time before we arrive?"

I peered outside myself, trying to recognize something from the surrounding streets. I couldn't be sure but I believed we weren't very far from the city's centre. "I'd say ten minutes," I tossed as a guess. "But with him at the wheel, it could be twenty, who knows," I added, lowering my voice.

Some fiery gleam entered her emerald eyes at my words, and I knew we were on the same page. The unspoken agreement between us was pretty clear, and when I pressed down the partition's controller again she simultaneously pawed through some buttons as well. Soon the blue lights in the car dwindled to a dark glow and she turned the music's volume up till the bass faintly vibrated through the seats. I, for my part, kept my eyes fixed on the impenetrable black screen that would allow us complete intimacy in a couple of seconds.

She moved even faster than I could. Before my brain could even comprehend that the last inch had closed her hands were around my face and her mouth fell upon mine. She was leaning over the arm rest between us, lips massaging mine, kissing me in earnest. An explosion of need responded to her enthusiasm low in my stomach and suddenly conscious thoughts faded, letting the instincts take over.

I slid a hand under her knee, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her around until she was straddling me. She pushed me down further onto my seat- which I managed to recline a bit, fumbling with the commands in the arm rest- and she settled her legs on either side of me. I welcomed her weight on top of me, dipping my head to taste the warm skin of her throat, her hair brushing against my forehead while I nuzzled, kissed, caressed, breathed in, lost myself in the intoxicating lure of her body.

This scent that was hers filled my lungs and inflamed my mind, this mouth-watering perfume, lingering in the air when she walked by me, impregnating our sheets when we made love, making me bury my face in her pillow when she left our bed...

Hands buried in my hair she angled her face, giving me better access. I gladly humoured her, aiming for the sensitive spots in her neck, her sighs and gasps a sweet melody in my ears, and her involuntary shivers the best reward I could hope for. I ran my hands up her shapely legs, caressing her thighs beneath the silky material of her stockings, sliding under the hem of her dress to cup her buttocks.

I hardened at the feel of her, firm and warm and smooth, and she made me suck in air hard when she reached between us, gliding her hand down my t-shirt until she palmed me through my pants. I suppressed a groan but couldn't help thrusting up slightly, pressing myself against her hand.

She lowered her head to whisper breathlessly into my ear, her voice low, a drag of velvet against my nerves. "I want you now."

In any other situation I would surely have been amused by the fact that she'd just used my own lyrics against me, but not this time. Her voice had been like an invisible hand, reaching inside me to pull at the centre point of the lust that was already consuming me, making my skin moist and burning with want.

I hitched her dress up to her waist, admiring for a second her sexy attire. It was unfortunate that I couldn't enjoy the view fully, not with her dress still on and not with this light, too feeble to discern it clearly. I would have loved to peel it of her slowly, skimming my fingers over every inch of her body, teasing her until she would all but throw herself at me.

We usually did that, keeping the foreplay going on for hours sometimes, because we loved how it made us desperate for the other's body, how it made release all the more sweeter. But we'd been hungering for each other for weeks now, and sex-starved as we were we wanted nothing else than to get straight to the point. Nor did we have the time for fooling around either. And so when she undid the button that was holding my pants and pull the zipper down, I slipped a hand between her legs, she slightly jolted at the contact, and I delicately stroked her through her knickers for a moment before pushing it aside. She was more than ready, we both were_._

Without waiting a second longer she lowered herself onto me, inch by slow, agonizing inch. When I was completely buried inside her, I let out the breath I'd been holding and a wave of gooseflesh rippled through my entire body, making me sigh in satisfaction and close my eyes.

"God I've missed you," I fervently breathed, placing my hands on her waist, just where that damn garter belt nestled.

Joining our bodies had appeased some of the tension but it quickly wasn't enough anymore and I encouraged her to move, using my hands to initiate the motion. And then I sat back, enjoying the view, scouring every inch of her with my eyes while she slowly rode me in the semi-darkness. She'd put one hand on my shoulder and the other on top of the seat behind me and rocked back and forth to the mid-tempo beats and the mellow style of the music in the background, her dancer's body fit and agile, the friction she was creating between us exquisite.

It couldn't get more erotic than that. Dom could have all the groupies from all the freaking stadiums in the world, why would I want anybody else when I had her all for myself? Buoyed by the thought that I was the luckiest man on the planet I folded my hands on either side of her face and claimed her mouth so I could possess her in every way. My tongue slid past her lips and explored what was behind, her tongue giving tiny licks in return that made my insides burn even harder.

Things carried on like this for a couple of minutes, her gyrating her lower body with increasing speed and me making love to her mouth while the world passed us by, ignorant of what was going on inside the car, thanks to the dark tint of the windows around us.

But suddenly I felt the spark of some different, keener pleasure ingniting inside me. This wasn't right. I knew her enough to know that she wasn't there yet, and I was too close. I pulled back, eyes screwed shut, fighting off the singing summoning in my blood. I leaned back in my seat and breathed deeply, opening my eyes again as I lowered a hand towards our crotches so I could stimulate her with my thumb. As soon as I'd touched her little pleasure powerhouse, the moan that escaped her throat was so fucking sexy I nearly came right this instant_._

I shuddered, barely keeping the orgasm in check, working on getting her close both with my hand and with my hips, bracing them up the seat to meet her own. At some point I was fighting it so hard that it almost felt like I was detaching my mind from my body, as if the sensations weren't my own but someone else's.

"Come on baby," I begged her, perspiration beading on my skin, my hips moving urgently between her clutching thighs and it built, and built, and built,... Jesus Fuck, I wouldn't just climax, I'd explode right out of my skin...

Finally my voice seemed to be the trigger she'd needed and her breathing deepened, becoming loud and desperate, turning into moans she couldn't hold back. Her legs started to tremble, her fingers on my shoulder dug through my t-shirt into my skin to the point of pain. I let go, allowing myself to slide into my earned release, and just when her inner muscles clenched strongly around me I was transported to a state of pure and absolute bliss.

The next seconds were just a blur of white-hot ecstasy that overshadowed everything else, I was riding the crest of the rapture as her movements gradually slowed down, and then I was dropped a quivering mess into the post-orgasmic glow of this bone-melting climax. I was close to being a rag doll, the only thing I could still do was breath. Breath big gulps of air until my mind cleared.

When my eyes eventually fluttered open- heart still pounding but breathing under control- the music was still playing and the car was still moving, but apart from that all was calm and quiet. She was curled up half on top of me, half beside me, her chest rising and sinking deeply but evenly. I brought a limp arm up and caressed her hair and the side of her face, skimmed my parted lips against her forehead, and cradled her close to me, holding her until the car came to a stop.

*-X-*-X-*-X-*

*JADE'S P.O.V*

I placed my foot on the pavement, taking my first step out of the car, and I was glad Matt had offered me the support of his hand, because my legs wobbled like jelly. The heels which had caused me no problem when I'd been dancing the night away suddenly felt really unstable. Matt shared a few words with the driver- in English, not in Italian- but still I didn't understand any of it. It could have been Greek for all I knew. I was still so high on Matt-sex that my head was like a merryland of clouds and honey, brain still under and nowhere to be seen.

A gust of fresh air blew past me and I shivered, wrapping myself inside my bolero as I waited for Matt to retrieve my small suitcase from the SUV's trunk. I hadn't seen them coming, so when I heard the hotel's doorkeepers shout angry Italian words at someone I didn't get it.

A flash of white light blinded me and when my eyesight recovered I found myself dumbly staring at a vehement redhead American woman. "Judy Hall from Planet People magazine," she fired away, holding some kind of recorder towards us. "Matt, how's the tour going so far? Do you think you'll be elected Best Live Band again?"

I was still stunned and when someone grabbed my arm I slightly jumped with surprise. But it was only Matt, who'd started up the few steps that led to the hotel and who'd dragged me along. I cast a glance back at the paparazzi who were now being shooed away by our driver and by the doorkeepers who were yapping about 'chiama la polizia'. The redhead's acolyte had a camera pointing at us, its flash lightening every half second and I looked ahead again.

"Is it true that you two are expecting a happy event?" the redhead shouted over the racket, as she kept trying to get near us.

"What? !" I squeaked, finally rousing from my stupor. I tried to turn around once more but Matt let go of my arm and instead took hold of my waist, keeping me walking straight.

"Don't answer that," he told me firmly.

I closed my mouth but furrowed my brow, waiting until Matt had ushered me inside the palatial hall of the hotel to voice my thoughts.

"Do I look pregnant to you? !" I fulminated, my voice echoing throughout the large room, innerly cursing the so-called journalist bitch who'd called my husband by his nickname.

"Well, yeah."

I turned wide eyes towards him and he flashed me his most beautiful smirk in return. "Like, two weeks pregnant," he specified.

I half rolled my eyes at him, not in the mood for jokes. I'd grown to bloody _hate_ paparazzi over time. Especially since one of these rotten nosey-parkers had written an article about Matt's 'fangirl summer crush', backed by some pictures of him in the company of the same girl at a couple of fancy parties. You can imagine my reaction when I saw that headline amonsgt the Celebrity Press magazines, while I was alone in London, miles away from him.

As it happened this girl had been one of _Dom's_ crushes. And Matt had pleaded, sworn, vowed, begged behind my door to make me hear this. And so had Dom, Chris, Tom, and every crew member Matt had been able to rally to his cause. Writting about Dom's lovelife wasn't that interesting because he went from girl to girl like a bee goes from flower to flower, so unless he dated someone famous nobody cared. But now _Matt_, a newly married man, going at it behind his wife's back with a fan, _that_ was juicy stuff.

Once Matt'd brought me to my senses, and I'd seen the burning love and anger in his eyes, I'd admited that it sort of made perfect sense. And it was only later that I'd realised I'd hurt him quite a bit having taken that much convincing to believe him. To believe that they wouldn't hesitate for a second to break up a couple with lies just so they could sell more of their gossip _rags._

"Poor excuse for a photographer," I grumbled, smoldering inside, as I followed Matt towards the lifts' corridor. "Don't these parasites ever sleep? !"

He called the lifts down and leaned his back against the marble wall. "There was a whole bunch of them camping outside the club," he explained with a yawn, rubbing a hand along his face. "They're all waiting for a scoop, all megazooms out. These two most likely followed us here."

My heart suddenly fluttered with worry and I shifted my weight uncomfortably. "You don't think... I mean, there's no way they could've... You know, seen us?"

His lips quirked upward in a half smile again. "Who knows. Perhaps that's how they came up with the baby idea- ow!"

I'd interrupted him by jabbing a finger against his ribs and he reflexively twisted away from my hand. "I'm serious Matt!"

He giggled and held his side where I'd poked him. "Come on, the windows were heavily tinted, of course they didn't see us." He pushed himself away from the wall and came near me, his hands loosely wrapping around my forarms, his fingers skimming the inside of my wrists. "Please, forget about them. Don't let those fuckers ruin the mood."

I puckered my lips into a small pout. "Mood's already ruined," I muttered.

His blue eyes softened. "Not for me," he murmured, leaning closer until his nose lightly touched my cheek in a feather-light brush.

My eyes closed and my lips parted, the soft caress of his mouth against mine effectively erasing any thoughts of paparazzi from my mind. I was about to press my lips into his when some unpleasant feminine voice drifted towards us, getting closer. We slowly, reluctantly parted from each other just when another couple came to stand in front of the lifts. They were both around sixty, obviously well-off given their clothes and the woman's jewels, and she'd been telling her companion off for something he'd done probably- I could only guess since they were speaking in Russian or a language close to it. The man had been pulling two large suitecases along and they looked like they had just arrived from a long trip.

When we came into their sight the woman's snapping petered out but she kept darting hostile, suspicious glances at us instead. I was wondering what her problem was when one of the lifts' doors opened. Matt laced his fingers through mine, the four of us entered the lift, and it appeared we were unfortunately all going to the same floor. We were being carried up in heavy silence, and from the corner where she stood the woman kept on throwing us disdainful sideways looks.

I gave Matt and myself a quick once-over in the lift's mirror, checking to see if there was anything wrong with us. The way she was glaring at us, as if we were two filthy creatures which didn't deserve to share the same lift than her, it felt as if she knew. As if there was 'Btw, we just had sex' written on our foreheads. Perhaps I was just imagining things, but she was making me feel ill-at-ease. I sighed. First the paparazzi, then her.

I drew closer to Matt, taking comfort in his proximity. "Do you have the key ready?" I softly asked him.

Instead of answering he reached around to his back pocket and handed me a white plastic card. I took it and the lift came to a stop, doors sliding open before us. Matt placed a hand on the small of my back and led me towards our suite. As it happened the Russians' room was just next to ours, down the corridor, and while they were searching for their key I slipped ours in the slit above the door's handle. But when I pulled it out the LED flashed red and the door refused to open. I frown, turned the card around, and tried again but without much success.

After my third failure Matt startled me when he came behind me and slid his arms beneath mine. I froze for a second and my heart pounded as I thought about the harpy not far from us. I could feel her stare burning through my side, and I mused about the fact that it probably wasn't the best idea to act flirty now. But when Matt leaned against me, his chest pressing against my back and his breath tickling my ear, I realised that he was doing it on purpose.

I did my best to stay focused, trying to ignore the tingling sensation in my lower abdomen, and I gave the card another shot. But the LED stayed stubbornly red and Matt was making it harder and harder to pay attention to the task at hand. With one hand he pulled my hair away and over to one side, the heat of his skin radiating through our clothes, he placed kisses near my ear, softly blowing on my nape, his other hand stroking across my belly... I put my hand that wasn't holding the card against the door, bracing myself, and exhaled a shaky breath. I was struggling to keep my eyes open when all I wanted to do was to lean my head back onto his shoulder and abandoned myself into his arms.

"Why don't you get that door open," he purred in my ear, seduction tendrils flowing from him like some kind of heady cologne. "So I can make you moan all night and keep that old hag from sleeping?"

My legs were growing weak and I couldn't even aim at the slit anymore. "I wish I could," I answered, huffing out a quiet chuckle.

Smiling against my skin he put his hand on mine then, and guided the card inside the slit before drawing it out slowly. His gestures were much gentler than mine, and this time the LED turned green.


End file.
